2020 ILXCTF.com Illinois Track & Field Previews - 2A Girls Field Events

By Michael Newman

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The 2020 season could have two athletes that could leave Charleston with two event state championships in the field events. There are three athletes that will be ready to defend their titles. This could be a great year in 2A field events with Jayden Ulrich of East Alton-Wood River and Diamonasia Taylor of Urbana considered as two of the nation’s top athletes in their specialties.

A Gem of An Athlete

We have seen what Diamonasia Taylor could do in the High Jump in her first two high school seasons when she won the Class 2A High Jump. She took a jump to the next level in 2019 when she cleared 5-11 in the state finals setting a new 2A state record. She will be in a league of her own this season as she goes after her fourth straight title in that discipline. She should also be in reach of matching or surpassing Jelena Rowe’s 2017 state record of 6-0.

The field for the High Jump only has three all-state athletes returning. The one athlete that could push Taylor higher is Carly Tucker of Metamora. The senior cleared 5-8 to finish second last season. The Urbana senior will be one of the elite athletes in the High Jump nationally. She is one of the top four returning in the event.

2019 was the first season that Taylor really focused on the Long Jump. Her progress in the event were astounding. She never went past 18-feet during the regular season with 17-11 jumps in her sectional meet and then four days later at the News-Gazette Honor Roll Meet. She finally broke that 18-foot barrier when she jumped 18-2.5 in the State Meet prelims placing her third. The next day in the finals she improved her personal best to 19-0.25 (wind-aided) which placed her second just a half inch behind state champion Serena Bolden.

Bolden has graduated putting Taylor in the favorites role. It is a position she is familiar with. Four other all-state athletes are back with Rantoul junior Tanaya Young figuring to be her closest competition.

A National Title could be in the future for Ulrich

We knew there was something special about Jayden Ulrich when she stepped into the ring her freshman season. In her first year of high school track and field, Ulrich finished third in the Shot Put at Illinois Top Times at the end of March and then fourth in the same event at the State Finals in May.

You typically do not see a freshman earn all-state honors. Then again, Ulrich is not your everyday typical athlete in the weight events.

Her sophomore season was a bigger showcase for her skills in 2019. She entered last year’s state finals in second. That changed when she had a 46-9.5 best to capture her first state title. Ulrich also finished second in the Discus.

She catapulted to the next level at the New Balance National Outdoor Championships when she finished fifth in the Championship Shot Put. She was only a sophomore in accomplishing All-American honors.

The sky is the limit for this now junior. Ulrich established a personal best of 47-8 at the University of Missouri on January 18 to begin her season. That mark currently ranks her third in the nation.

The 2A Shot Put this spring should be tough with six of last year’s top nine finishers back led by Aliyah McDaniel of Tolono Unity and Mye’joi Williams of Rantoul. The way Ulrich is heading in that event, it could be tough to stop her from repeating her state championship.

The Discus is a little more open with four of the top six athletes back headed by Ulrich, Bailey Bertrand of Marengo, and Carolina Hintz of Burlington Central.

Other 2A Field Event Notes

The Pole Vault in this classification is ridiculously tough with seven Class 2A athletes back along with two Class 1A all-state athletes who had their schools moved up a classification. It would have been tougher if Lianna Ifft were still at Prairie Central. Ifft, who finished third in last year’s 2A state meet, moved during the summer and will compete for Bloomington in Class 3A this spring.

It came down to a three athlete battle in last year’s state finals with Ifft, Samantha Spencer of Providence Catholic, and Rhiannon Held of Mt. Zion. Spencer’s 12-6 clearance gave her the state title with Held and Ifft both at 12-3 finishing second and third.

Spencer took it to the next level three weeks later at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals when she cleared a personal best 13-0.25 to finish ninth. The defending champion is usually the athlete that will have the target on her back. Spencer will be no exception. This is the toughest of all the field events regardless of classification. Held, Tori Thomas of Rock Island Aleman, Alix Rule of Peoria Richwoods, and Landis Brandon of Monticello should be Spencer’s chief competition.

There will be new state champions in the horizontal jumps since Serena Bolden has graduated. Eight all-state athletes will be back in the Triple Jump led by last year’s third-place finisher Tiera Robinson-Jones of Evergreen Park and fourth-place finisher Bianca Huddson of Herrin. Two Class 1A all-state athletes from last year, Jaden Christian of Reed-Custer and Lyneigh Schram of Rock Island Aleman, could also be difference makers in this event.

Top Returning Class 2A Field Event Athletes

Long Jump

Triple Jump

High Jump

Pole Vault

Shot Put

Discus